Music provides the soundtrack for our lives—and there’s a reason for that. There’s a scientifically demonstrated link between music and memory. This is especially true of high school years; the music we listen to as teenagers sets our musical taste for life. That’s why certain songs may bring you right back to your high school prom or even something as uneventful as a drive with a friend. With that in mind, Stacker set out to find the top country songs of your high school years. Many radio mainstays made the list, including Chris Stapleton, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, and Brad Paisley—though you might be surprised to see which years their songs reached the top of the charts. 

Using Billboard’s Hot Country Songs charts, Stacker identified the most popular song of each year by selecting those that held the top spot the longest. If more than one song fit the bill in a year, they were all included. The charts take streaming and digital downloads into account as well. So fire up that mental time machine, and get ready to explore the top country songs every year since 1944. 

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